Corset.



No. 644,744. Patented Mar. 6, 1900.

G. MARPLE.

CORSET.

ion 11 ed a (Applicat 1 I) c 21, 1898 (No Model.)

NrrED STATES GRACE MARPLE, OF FORT WVORTI-I, TEXAS.

CORSET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,744, dated March 6, 1900.

Application filed December 21, 1898. Serial No. 699,901. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GRACE MARPLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Worth, Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corsets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to attachments for corsets; and one object is to hold the body in its natural form.

Corsets when new or old are imperfect in form and never have correct shapes at the bottom of the front part. The lower front part of a corset becomes flared and allows the abdomen to protrude forward to an unnatural position. This invention is particularly to remedy this defect.

Other objects and advantages will be fully explained in the following description and particularly pointed out in the claim.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawin gs, which form a part of this application.

Figure 1 is an interior View of one side of a corset, showing myimprovement attached. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a corset with the improvement attached. Fig. 3 illustrates a variation in the form of the attachment.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate the same parts'throughout the several views.

This invention consists of a strap or straps attached to the inside of a corset near the bottom of the front and back parts, and the objects are entirely difierent from the objects set forth in such patents as those to Bortree, dated July 13, 1875, No. 165,534; Schacht, dated March 2, 1897, No. 578,045, and Smith, dated February 8, 1881, No. 237,618. These patents are for the purpose of making the corsets adjustable to different shapes of persons. The object of my invention is to construct an attachment which can be attached to any corset.

In the drawings there are two pieces of strong material A and B. The strip A is attached at the fastening-steels F by stitching or otherwise and attached again at a distance of about four and one-half inches from the steels F and is provided with a buckle E for attaching the same to the strip B; but the two strips may be secured together by lacing or in other Ways. The strip B is attached at the lacing-stays H. The strips drop about an inch below the corset for part of the distance,- making the strips have the bottom edges in a straight line. It will be seen that the pull on the strips will be from front to hack, and more force is given to the pull by attaching the strip A at a second place, as described. A pull on the strips will leave the skirts of the corset loose between the points of attachment of strip A and strip B. The advantages gained by this arrangement are that the corset is left in perfect shape, the movements of the hips are unimpeded, and there is left a retreat in the sides of the corset for the surplus flesh of the abdomen of a fleshy person. The skirts being loose allow the corset to sink in at the waist-line and stand out over the hips, thus Wonderfully improving the figure and giving much more comfort to the wearer. This is alsoa protection to the corset, making it Wear much longer. Vhen thus protected, the steels lie flat 'in front and cannot double when a person bends, but hang loose over the hips. When a person bends sidewise, the strips catch the force of the movement. The particular advantage sought after is to compel the corset to lie fiat or close to the abdomen. The attachments brace the abdomen by holding it in its natural position and preventing an unnatural protrusion in front and a disfigurement of the form. This will add strength to aperson and give beauty to the figure. Holding the body in its natural position will make a person more healthful.

The effects of my improvement are different from the elfects of the improvements in the patents above noted. The effects of those improvements are that the sides of the corset are drawn flat and the protrusion of the abdomen is not prevented. They also bind the hips. My improvement does not bind the hips, but leaves them free, and the skirts of the corset hang free over the hips and add rotundity to them, thus giving beauty to their rorrn.

This invention will by use reduce the abdomen. The attachment can be tightened to draw or press the abdomen in as much as is desirable. It may be used to buckle the abdomen in or back and leave the corset slack and comfort-able.- Its action has somewhat the same effects as massage treatment in reducing the size of the abdomen. The improvement is particularly useful for corpulent people. For very corpulent people wider the corset is to be supplied with the straps. Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A corset provided with means for depressing the abdomen and leaving the corset loose over the hips, said means consisting of straps attached to each of the side pieces of the corset at the front part thereof and straps provided with stays attached to each of the side pieces of the corset at the back part thereof, the straps attached to the back and those attached t0 the front being adjustably secured together and all of said straps being secured to the interior of the corset.

In testimony whereof I set my hand, in the presence of two witnesses, this 16th day of December, 1898.

GRACE MARPLE.

\Vitnesses:

A. L. JACKSON, J. J. MEL'roN. 

